Battery cell cover assembly

Abstract

A battery cell cover assembly in which the cover is fitted in the cell walls of the jar and is formed to define a deep groove bottomed by hinged sealing strips formed integrally with the cover for receiving a flowable, settable sealant compound; the strips give significant tolerance flexibility between the cover and the jar, and the groove is sufficiently deep to permit good sealing even when the cover top is raised well clear of the top of the jar.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a battery cell cover assembly in which a cover is fitted into the walls of an open-topped jar and a flowable, settable sealant joins the cover and jar, the improvement comprising, a cover having a main planar body and a depending, outwardly sloping, surrounding skirt of substantial depth whose lowest and greatest periphery is well within the opening defined by said walls, said periphery being substantially straight sided, a plurality of sealing strips formed integrally with said skirt with one strip extending down from each straight side of the skirt, said skirt and said strips being formed of resilient material and being joined by straight line, reduced thickness hinge sections, said strips defining jar wall contacting lines and having a relaxed, unstressed position wherein said contacting lines of the sealing strips define a periphery well outside the dimensions of the opening defined by said walls, said strips also having a camming surface for swinging the strips down and in upon insertion of said cover into said jar to thereby form a deep groove for said sealant with a range of groove depth being substantially equal to the depth of said skirt. 
     
     
       2. A cell cover for a battery jar having a main planar body and a depending, outwardly sloping, surrounding skirt of substantial depth whose lowest and greatest periphery is well within the jar opening into which the cover is to be inserted, said periphery being substantially straight sided, a plurality of sealing strips formed integrally with said skirt with one strip extending down from each straight side of the skirt, said skirt and said strips being formed of resilient material and being joined by straight line, reduced thickness hinge sections, said strips defining jar wall contacting lines and having a relaxed, unstressed position wherein said contacting lines of the sealing strips define a periphery well outside the dimensions of said jar opening, said strips also having a camming surface for swinging the strips down and in upon insertion of said cover into said jar opening to thereby form a deep groove for said sealant with a range of groove depths being substantially equal to the depth of said skirt.